Alberta: The world’s most advanced economies are gathering once again this time in the serene Canadian Rockies for the annual Group of Seven (G7) summit, beginning Sunday. But behind the idyllic setting of Kananaskis, located about 90 kilometers from Calgary, lies a summit clouded by tension, deep geopolitical rifts, and the looming unpredictability of U.S. President Donald Trump.
Canada, this year’s host, hopes to steer the dialogue toward stability and progress without provoking friction with Washington. Prime Minister Mark Carney has outlined key priorities for the summit: enhancing global peace and security, building sustainable critical mineral supply chains, and driving job creation. Yet, the meeting's spotlight is expected to fall heavily on divisive matters, including U.S. trade tariffs, conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East, and Trump’s disruptive diplomatic track record.
The summit convenes just hours after a deadly escalation between Israel and Iran, who exchanged cross-border attacks on the eve of the gathering a conflict that has already cost dozens of lives. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz confirmed the situation would dominate the summit’s agenda, emphasizing the need to prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons, support Israel’s right to self-defense, and prevent further regional destabilization while preserving space for diplomacy.
This is the first time Canada has hosted the G7 since 2018 a summit remembered not for unity, but for President Trump’s dramatic exit and subsequent verbal assault on then-Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, whom he labeled “very dishonest and weak.” Trump’s order to rescind the U.S. endorsement of the final joint statement left a lasting scar on multilateral trust.
Memories of that summit loom large. “If President Trump simply doesn’t blow up the meeting, that will already be considered a success,” remarked Roland Paris, a professor of international affairs at the University of Ottawa and a former advisor to Trudeau.
In light of past incidents and ongoing tensions, Canadian officials have taken precautionary steps. Ottawa has reportedly abandoned plans for a traditional comprehensive joint communique. Instead, it will release chair summaries, offering more flexibility and reducing the risk of public disagreements.
A senior Canadian official stated the emphasis will be on identifying practical areas of cooperation among the seven nations Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom, and the United States rather than engaging in high-stakes policy declarations that could provoke friction with Trump.
Canadian Senator Peter Boehm, who was Trudeau’s G7 sherpa in 2018, said the summit is scheduled to run longer than usual to allow ample time for bilateral meetings, particularly with Trump. Leaders from outside the G7, including Ukraine, Mexico, India, South Africa, South Korea, Brazil, and Australia, are expected to join parts of the summit, each bringing their own agendas and hoping to strike personal rapport with the U.S. president.
President Trump arrives at a time of high diplomatic tension. His past musings about annexing Canada and his administration’s imposition of steel and aluminum tariffs have left Prime Minister Carney warning of potential retaliatory measures.
Experts suggest that global leaders, while hoping for productive dialogue, are also bracing for volatility. “The best-case scenario is a quiet summit without major incidents. Anything more than that is a bonus,” said Josh Lipsky of the Atlantic Council and a former U.S. government official.
Trump’s administration has outlined a sweeping agenda for the summit covering trade reform, energy security, artificial intelligence, illicit drug and migrant flows, and global economic resilience. A senior U.S. official emphasized the president’s intent to push for "fair and reciprocal" trade practices, reinforcing his signature policy stance.
Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskiy will also be attending, though with tempered expectations. A recent frosty meeting with Trump in Washington ended without progress, and Kyiv now sees even a courteous encounter at the summit as a diplomatic victory.
Canada, a long-standing ally of Ukraine, had hoped to secure strong language of support from G7 members. But with Trump’s unpredictable stance on the conflict and a general reluctance from some quarters to provoke him, hopes have dimmed. European leaders, however, view the G7 and the upcoming NATO summit in The Hague as key moments to nudge Trump toward backing a new sanctions initiative targeting Russia.
For many in the international community, this summit is not just about immediate outcomes it's about assessing whether the United States, under Trump’s renewed leadership, still sees value in cooperative frameworks like the G7.
“This meeting is a litmus test,” said Max Bergmann from the Center for Strategic and International Studies. “Does America still believe in collective problem-solving through institutions like the G7? That’s what allies and adversaries alike are watching closely.”
With pressing global issues and Trump’s unpredictable presence at the center, the 2025 G7 summit could either usher in a renewed era of pragmatic diplomacy or further expose the fragile state of global alliances.